Despair at Hogwarts
by EruditeStateOfMind
Summary: When seemingly average Makoto Naegi receives a letter inviting him to study at Hogwarts, he begrudgingly accepts. He is quickly drawn into the world of magic. But, is Hogwarts always filled with hope? Or is there something darker lurking beneath? Th first two chapters serve as a prologue/introduction, and the story truly begins at chapter 3.
1. Prologue: Part 1

**Chapter 1**

Makoto Naegi stared at the ginormous train towering over his head. Waves of panic started to fill his body. He turned around to get support from his family, only to remember that he was there alone. Actually, a strange man had accompanied him to the train station. He claimed he worked at what would be Naegi's new school and that he would take him to the train station. Only when he and Naegi arrived, the man vanished leaving Naegi alone and terrified.

He fingered the acceptance note in his pocket. The paper read,

"Dear Makoto Naegi,

We are delighted to inform you of your acceptance into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Usually children develop their magical abilities at the age of ten years, but it seems that your skills blossomed at fifteen. On September first we invite you to study with us at our beloved school. Attached to this letter is a package containing materials which we have covered for the past couple of years. A tutor will be sent over to catch you up."

The letter then went on to name all of the materials he needed for the upcoming school year. Naegi was basically sent into lockdown this summer, choking down knowledge so he wouldn't be a too behind. Somehow, he managed to grasp all the materials from years one through four and would be able to join all of the other fifteen year olds in their fifth year.

Children all around him were starting to file onto the train. He was pushed and shoved and cursed at while he just stood there, gaping. After a minute or two of staring, he mechanically hoisted his stuff up and began to walk towards the train. _Everyone else seems so confident, _he thought. _And look at me, I'm a nervous wreck just getting on the train to go to school. _He realized how ridiculous he was being, and shoved the feeling of despair down deep inside his body. _I just have to look at the positives._

Once he threw his stuff into a designated area filled with all the other student's personal belongings, he stepped onto the train with a light, timid step. His hands started to tremble as he walked down the aisle of compartments to sit in. Suddenly, he felt as if he was suffocating. The walls were too close and every face was unfamiliar and menacing. He looked, somewhat desperately, for a compartment that was unoccupied. But, almost every single one was filled with at least one body. _If only I didn't wait outside for too long because I was scared._

Finally, as he started to reach the back of the train, he spotted an empty space. He celebrated silently in his mind, thanking gods or fate or whatever for giving him this opportunity. He almost dove into it to secure his spot before anyone else could arrive to take it from him. He sat down on the plush, red velvet seat and let relief flood over his body. He set down a small carry-on bag, filled with materials he wanted by him at all times, next to him. He rummaged through it. Inside was his wand, a couple of books, a picture of his family, and a couple of pens and pencils because he wasn't sure how great he would be with a quill. He pulled out _The Standard Book of Spells (Year 4) _because he was still a bit shaky with all of the year 4 information.

He was buried in the book, moving his lips in an attempt to pronounce the spells correctly and waving his wand slightly to get the motion down. As he was studying intently, he barely even noticed the girl with blue hair approach the compartment.

"Um, excuse me," she said. Naegi didn't even flinch. "Excuse me!" she repeated a bit louder. Still, there was no reaction. "EXCUSE ME!" she basically screamed. Naegi shot up startled. "I'm so sorry to bother you but eve…" she stopped abruptly. "Makoto Naegi? Is that you?"

"Sayaka Maizono! I haven't seen you in such a long time! Well, I mean I've seen you, but not like this!" Sayaka used to go to school with him, until she turned ten and transferred schools. Then he only saw her on television when she went on summer tours or produced a new album. He couldn't have imagined that she was actually a witch, and that she would remember his name. "Wow, I can't believe I ran into you here of all places, and that you would remember my name."

Her face softened a bit. "Of course remember you. We went to school together for like five years or so."

"But, I mean, everything you've done since we stopped going to school together. I-I was positive that a superstar like you wouldn't remember me."

She looked hurt. "Why? Do you think I'm a terrible person who can't even remember her classmates? Do you think I'm so obsessed with fame that I couldn't remember names?" An apology danced on his lips and shame hit him like a truck. "Ha! I'm just kidding! I understand where you're coming from." She smiled and giggled at him. "Hey, do you think I can sit with you?"

"Yeah, no problem." She took the bench directly across from him. She squinted at him, like she was sizing him up. "S-so, uh."

"Oh, I don't mean to look at you funny, but I swear I haven't seen you at Hogwarts before. I'm not trying to be rude but…"

Naegi cut her off and explained his situation to her. The two of them then proceeded to catch up. Sayaka told stories of her career and her time at Hogwarts. Naegi talked about life at home and old friends. They caught up as the train lurched out of the station, and then throughout the rest of the ride. It seemed way too short to Naegi as the rain pulled up to the station in front of the school. He gazed out of the window at the school. Sayaka told him about its majestic nature, but that didn't even begin to explain it. His breath was taken right out of his lungs, and he probably wouldn't have gotten off of the train if Sayaka hadn't tapped his shoulder.

They both had forgotten to change into their robes. They pulled it on over their street clothes while they sprinted towards the place where the carriages would take them to Hogwarts. Through the chaos, Sayaka asked "So, what house are you in?"

"Oh, uh, the headmaster told me that he would sort me once I arrived. What house are you in?"

"Well, the hat said I could be in either Gryffindor or Slytherin, but I chose Gryffindor," she pointed at the crest on her robes. "I think it suited me." Naegi nodded knowingly. He held out his hand to help her into the carriage. As he grabbed her hand, it sent shivers up his spine. He became hyper aware of her hand on his. Something like disappointment stewed inside him when her fingers unclasped from his. He was about to follow her in, when a boy with spiky red hair cut him off and leaped in. The vehicle rocked wildly, like it was going to tip. "LEON!" Sayaka scolded.

"What?" the boy Leon asked, a sly grin pasted onto his face.

"You could have killed me!"

"No, I would never kill you."

"Whatever." Through her anger, Naegi could spy a playfulness in her voice. After she got tired of being angry at him, she smiled warmly. Naegi really needed to get into the carriages to get to school, he couldn't miss his first day of some magic school which he was already an outcast in. He tried to carefully step in the carriage, as to not ruin the moment between Sayaka and Leon, but he just slipped and fell into it, hard.

Leon burst into uncontrollable laughter. Tears even started to form at the corners of his eyes. Sayaka tried to suppress a smile while she asked if he was alright. He grunted unconvincingly. An equal mixture of embarrassment and pain shook him while he stood up and took a seat. He sat in between Sayaka and a beautiful, almost porcelain, Ravenclaw girl with purple hair. Across from them was Leon, a blond boy from Slytherin with a permanent scowl etched into his face, and another Ravenclaw girl who was a bit infatuated with blond boy.

The carriages pulled off and started their journey towards the school. Naegi's nervousness had returned. It almost swallowed him whole. He was starting a magic school with barely any friends and limited knowledge of the subjects he was to study. He would never be ready for this moment.


	2. Prologue: Part 2

**Chapter 2**

_This is so awkward. _Naegi could hear Sayaka's infectious laugh as she discussed her summer with Leon. Naegi just sat there quietly, praying for a short ride. He turned his head to look at the girl sitting next to him. She had an impeccable posture and she gave off an aura of coldness. It intimidated him. He opened his mouth to talk to her, but closed it at the last second.

He then focused his attention on the couple, or whatever they were, on the opposite side. The blond boy looked beyond annoyed at the girl sitting next to him. She would occasionally let out a sigh or a small giggle, and he would offer her back an icy stare.

"Fukawa!" he suddenly snapped. "Can you stop staring at me? It's incredibly off putting and your bad looks are somewhat blinding. I would appreciate it if you wouldn't ever make eye contact again." Naegi could see why he was in Slytherin.

After what seemed like an eternity of bickering, catching up, and being purposely ignored the carriage pulled to a stop. Leon and Sayaka linked arms and stepped off of the carriage. _Disgusting._ Next, the blond boy sauntered off with Fukawa close at his heels. Only the girl and Naegi remained. They sat in an uncomfortable silence for a couple of seconds. Naegi couldn't stand it, so he decided to talk to her.

"So, uh," he started. She turned her head slowly. "W-what's your name?"

She just stared at him with purple unblinking eyes. Then she spoke, "It doesn't truly matter, but my name is Kyouko."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Kyouko. I'm Makoto Naegi." She just looked at him again, but it felt as if she was looking through him, judging his genetic makeup and picking apart his innards. He thought she was going to say something, but she just got out of the carriage, leaving him with an empty feeling.

Naegi decided to follow the others. Once he got off he glanced at the school and he was yet again shocked at the beauty of it. A castle with skyscraping towers and winding corridors was something he was never able to see back home. He began his trek towards the castle, towards the welcoming warm glow spilling out of it, towards a new home.

It took him a while, but he finally found the front entry. He could see the spiky red of Leon's hair and the brilliant blue of Sayaka's. Anger began to cloud his thoughts. _How could she just leave me like that? _He soon felt guilt though, she wasn't his guardian and she didn't owe him anything. As he stood, somewhat confused at what to do next, a man approached him.

"Are you Makoto Naegi?" a deep voice said. Naegi nodded. "Follow me please." And then the man started off. Naegi stood, a bit shocked, for second before he joined the man. They walked silently past the front entrance.

"Uh, aren't we supposed to…?" Naegi started.

"Headmaster's orders." The man simply offered. Again quietness engulfed them. Again, Naegi needed to dispel the awkward quietness.

"What's your name, sir?"

"We're here," the man called out, completely ignoring Naegi's last statement. They approached a large oak door hidden towards the back of the castle. The man knocked twice and whispered a spell. It opened with a small click. "Please enter."

Naegi didn't want to. He didn't trust this man. His legs felt both stiff and jelly-like as he took a step into the dark cavern before him.

"Lumos," a voice said. Lights suddenly popped on, blinding Naegi in the process. He stumbled backwards a few steps. "Ah, sorry about that! I didn't mean to blind you. Hello, Makoto! My name is Jin Kirigiri, and I'm the headmaster of Hogwarts."

Naegi stared at him. He couldn't believe that this was the headmaster, he expected an ancient man with a pointy wizard hat. Jin was almost the exact opposite of that. He chuckled slightly. "A bit surprised, huh? Don't worry. Most people are." Naegi nodded. They both looked at each other. Then Jin said, somewhat embarrassed, "Welcome to Hogwarts! That should have been the first thing I said. Shall we get you sorted?"

Naegi was then pushed into a small stool. Jin stood in front of him him, reaching for something from a shelf directly above his head. "Now, we usually do this to the first years only, but you're our exception. I figured it was better to sort you in private rather than make a big show of it." As Jin stopped talking, he pulled a dusty, worn-out hat from the shelf and placed it on Makoto's head.

"Hmmmmm, very interesting," the hat said into Naegi's head. Naegi almost had a stroke. He knew all about magic and some stuff about sorting, but he had no idea that a talking hat would choose his fate. "Hmmmm, through your timid nature, I can see a heart of gold. Plus, you're brave and you have a great grasp on what is right and wrong. Let's have it be…..GRYFFINDOR!"

Jin started clapping and placed his hand on Naegi's shoulder. "Congratulations, Makoto! Now, come with me and we'll head down to the main hall for the rest of the sorting ceremony."

They both headed out of the office down a couple of corridors. Jin Krirgiri was incredibly talkative, which put Naegi at ease. He talked about everything from the school, to his past, to his daughter. "It's a shame you couldn't have been in her house," he cooed. "She's your age. I love her to death, but she makes a point to avoid me. She is lovely though. Her name is Kyouko and she's a Ravenclaw."

"Really? I just met her today on the carriages," he said. He could not believe that the venomous girl he met earlier was related to this sunny man. "She seemed…." He paused. "Nice?"

Jin was about to respond, when they entered the main hall. "Oh, I would love to chat, but you need to join your house and I need to speak. It was so nice meeting you!" Then he scampered off.

Naegi walked tentatively towards his table. He scanned it for Sayaka, and he eventually saw her, but she was holding hands with Leon and he wanted nothing to with that. He settled for a seat at the end of the table next to an incredibly muscular girl or maybe a boy, he didn't know.

With all of the cheering and friendliness around him, he kind of felt at home. The girl sitting next to him even had a conversation with him. Despite her looks, she was actually surprisingly kind. Her name was Sakura. As all the first years were sorted, Naegi could help but glance over at the Ravenclaw table. He noticed that while everyone else was enjoying each other's company, Kyouko was partaking in none of it. _I'll have to talk to her later. _For now, Naegi was actually feeling content. But, he had no idea what was in for him tomorrow.


	3. Chapter 3: The Story Begins

**Chapter 3**

Naegi woke with a start, limbs and head throbbing violently. He grabbed at his skull, attempting to nurse the pain. Through the agony, he opened his eyes and looked around the room. There was no other person in it besides him. _Huh? I thought I had bunk mates. Or did I? _He was terribly confused and seemed to lack memory of the past couple of hours. He attempted to recall the last couple of days. _I remember Sayaka and Leon and Kyouko and being sorted into Gryffindor. But how did I manage to get here?_

He clumsily got out of bed. He stumbled towards the stairs at the front of his bedroom. He gave it a last look. Four beds, three in pristine condition and one marked with the sign of life. It was incredibly eerie. He tore his eyes away from the bedroom and started down the stairs. He wound up in a huge room which he would describe as a common room. In it there was a cold fireplace, perfect furniture, and four other panicky students. He recognized Sayaka, Leon and the muscular girl, Sakura, and there was another boy with pitch black hair attempting to take control of the situation.

"Here's another student!" the boy exclaimed. "You're late."

Naegi could only manage a small noise in reply. _Was there a set time? _But before he could get his thoughts in order, Sayaka had basically tackled him in a hug. "I thought something terrible happened to you!" she almost sobbed in his ears, her arms squeezing what little breath he had out of him.

"W-why would you think that?" he choked out.

"Dude, I can't believe you slept through the announcement! It was, like, hella loud," Leon said.

"What are you all talking about?" Naegi asked.

Suddenly, a voice cut him off. "Um, excuse me! Students, or what's left of you, upupu, please join me up the in the main hall. That's an order! Step to it!" The voice was shrill and daunting, and there was no way any of the gathered Gryffindor students were going to ignore it. They all moved towards the door and ultimately the main hall.

Sayaka had grabbed both Leon's and Naegi's hands. Naegi noticed she was pale and shaking slightly. He tightened his grip and marched on. Sakura was on his left and he attempted to make friendly conversation with her.

"So, uh, Sakura…w-what do you like to do in your free time?" he scolded himself for coming up with such a terrible topic.

She looked somewhat taken aback, but humored him. "I'm a martial artist. I uphold my family's beloved tradition of raising talented fighters. However, I surpassed even the family normality and became one of the best fighter's they have seen. I don't wish to brag, but to give things as they are. Sometimes it's a blessing, and other times a curse." By the time she was done, they had stepped into the main hall, where eleven others were waiting for them.

"Leave it to the Gryffindor's to show up last," a girl had said.

"We are not late though! We have arrived in enough time to please the authority!" the boy, Ishimaru, had shot back.

"Well, well, well, now that everyone's here, I guess I shall begin!" the voice said again. It echoed throughout the hall and sent everyone into an uncomfortable silence. "Allow me to introduce myself! I'm Monokuma, you're loving headmaster!" And with that, a black and white bear popped out of the table sitting at the front of the hall.

"Impossible! How is that stuffed animal talking?"

"Watch your tongue or I'll cut it out," the bear threatened. "Now, I'll make this short. Look around at the students sitting in front of you." Eyes wandered taking in the sights of everyone else. _There's sixteen including me. _"Get a good look at your friends. I got rid of all the unimportant students at Hogwarts, they would make terrible contestants. I mean look at you all! You will be perfect to spread the despair, what with your talents and everything. As I was saying, now that you know everyone, you'll have to kill them."

Murmurs reverberated through the crowd. _What? Who is this guy? What does he mean kill? How is he even speaking?_

"Thhhhhat's right! I want you to slaughter, maim, murder, whatever you want to call it!" The bear looked absolutely gleeful. "Now, for the rules. You can't escape, I've made sure of that. The only way you can leave is by killing another student. That's the way you graduate. But, it's not that easy. You have to go through trial and not be caught. Secondly, you can only kill using magic. That's right! Avada kedavra, cruciatus them to death, sectumsempra and leave them to bleed out, I really don't care! As long as there's some sort of magic involved, it doesn't matter! Thirdly, you come after me and your game time will be cut short, if you know what I mean. I'm always watching you just to make sure you uphold my rules. If you break one, then it's automatic punishment. Oh, and just so you know, I am controlled by one of you guys. So, think about that for a minute." That last statement hung in the air. He laughed maliciously, took a comically large breath and then proclaimed, "Get it, got it, good! Well, I'm out! Have fun you bastards!" And then he disappeared in a large puff of smoke.

At first, there was nothing. The smallest of noises could be heard. And then, like a bomb exploding, the hall erupted into noise. Shouts of confusion and disbelief rung out around them. The noise threatened to swallow them whole. Everyone shot eyes of suspicion at each other. The distrust was tangible.

"Hey! Listen to me, maggots! PAY ATTENTION!" a boy started to call out. Naegi recognized him, he was the boy from the carriage ride over. Everything started to simmer down, and then all eyes were on him. "Are you all that stupid? No one is going to kill each other! I suggest that we all introduce ourselves, and then, once we become acquainted, we won't have the desire to kill friends."

"Hey, th-that's not too bad of an idea," someone cried out.

"Of course it's not. Now, get to it!" he snapped.

Everyone looked at each other, waiting to pick people to introduce themselves to. Everyone was either too nervous or too proud to take the first step, especially since the bear in charge could be any of them. Then, Sayaka's clammy hand released Naegi's and she went off. He saw her walk up to a girl with large blonde pigtails tied up in hair clips. Naegi figured he should follow her example. And then everyone partnered up. Introductions were exchanged, smiles given, and friendliness, authentic or not, floated through the air.

_ Celestia, Junko, Mondo, Togami, Mukuro, these are the Slytherins. Kyouko, Fukawa, Yamada, the Ravenclaws. Asahina, Hagakure, Chihiro, the Hufflepuffs. And finally, Sayaka, Leon, Sakura, Ishimaru and myself, the Gryffindors. There's no way we can murder each other…right?_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 **

Naegi was the last one back to the Gryffindor tower. He had spent a considerable amount of time chatting with some of the other students and finding out about them. By the time he was done having a conversation with Kyouko, his last partner, everyone else had already retired to their rooms. He was weighed down with fatigue and doubt as he walked to his room.

The demonic bear had returned to tell them some more details about the so-called game they were participating in. Little things like all the passwords or whatever blocking entrance to the rooms were disabled, and that every room had a silencing charm placed on it so no one would be able to hear the murders, and that some of the castle would be off limits until a murder occurred. It made his stomach churn just thinking about it. He was fairly confident that no one would actually kill each other. Even the toughest, like Mondo, or the most arrogant, like Togami, couldn't actually take anyone's life. But, a cloud of uncertainty still remained.

Brushing those thoughts aside, he looked for the room with his name on it. He found that it was at the end of the hallway, alone from anyone else. He crawled into bed scared, exhausted and still hopeful that no one would murder each other. He slept dreamless and restlessly.

In the morning he awoke to the sound of knocking on his door. He groggily got out of bed and opened it up. Sayaka stood there, with dark circles under her eyes and slightly disheveled hair. She looked like she hadn't slept.

"Ishimaru wanted me to tell you that we're all meeting up for breakfast in the main hall to discuss everything that's happened." She yawned and turned to leave.

"Wait! Uh, Sayaka, are you feeling okay?" Naegi asked.

She hesitated a second before bursting into tears. "No, I'm not!" she sobbed. "This is just so terrible! I just want to go home!" She was crying hysterically and Naegi held her in his arms. He tried to comfort her, but didn't know what to do. So they just stood there, hugging and crying.

Once she calmed a bit, Naegi went into his room and got changed. He went back outside, held Sayaka's hand and they both walked down to the main hall together.

Once they arrived, Ishimaru was hounding them. "You both are late! I would expect better from my housemates!" His face was bright red as he scolded them both. "Well, you're far from the last ones here, so I won't hold this against you too much."

Naegi looked around and it was true what he said, there were only five people there other than themselves. He led Sayaka over to the table where everyone sat and attempted to make friendly conversation. Sakura, Asahina and himself discussed their hobbies and what not. Chihiro would occasionally interject, but she looked too nervous to add anything with sustenance. Sayaka and Fukawa both looked at the ground the whole time refusing to say a word, and Ishimaru glared at the door trying to summon more people in.

Gradually more and more people showed up, Mukuro arrived next apologizing about her lateness, but refused to say anything more. Celestia strolled in, offered up a quick hello, and sat down. Hagakure ran in hurriedly, spewing out something about spirits and fortunes before sitting down and joining the conversation. Yamada nervously scurried in and then apologized profusely about his oversleeping. Mondo gave a grunt and sat at the very end of the table, secluding himself from everyone else. Junko skipped in and enthusiastically talked about her beauty rest and makeup. Togami entered and offered up a death stare to anyone he thought even looked like they might question him. Lastly, Kyouko entered. She walked in as if she wasn't a half hour late and sat down like nothing was the matter.

Ishimaru looked stung that he had to start breakfast later than he wanted to. "Now that everyone is here…"

"Wait!" said Junko. "Where's that one kid with the red hair?"

"U-um isn't his name Leon," offered Chihiro.

Ishimaru walked up to Sayaka and me. "Where is he?" he whispered intensely. We both shrugged. "I swear that boy is going to receive ample punishment. Sayaka, Naegi and Sakura, you all know where his room is, so go check in on him. I'll stay here and try to get things in order."

The three of them stood up from the table and began their journey towards the Gryffindor tower. Naegi's mind started to race. _What if something happened to him? _He quickly brushed that thought away. He had to remain positive. He looked at the other two and realized that they were wearing a mask of worry. He gulped and kept walking.

As soon as they reached the Gryffindor rooms, they broke off into a sprint. They ran down the hall towards Leon's room. They passed empty rooms until they reached the nameplate that read "Leon." Sayaka started to pound the door. But, it only took one hit and the door swung open with a loud creak. The three of them gaped at the dark abyss in front of them. Gingerly, they walked in.

A metallic smell pounded their nostrils. They all looked around nervously, assuming the worst. "I'll check the bedroom," Sayaka croaked out.

"I'll take the closet," Sakura said.

"I guess I'll get the bathroom," Naegi managed to say. They all headed off in their separate directions.

Naegi walked as slow as possible towards the bathroom. He turned towards where the door should have been, but saw it had been blown off its hinges. He swallowed and stepped inside. The bathroom was pitch black. "Lumos" he said, barely audible. Suddenly the room lit up, and he saw Leon lying on the floor surrounded by puddles of blood. A large knife was jammed into his chest and his face was contorted with what looked like a scream of pain. Blood splatters decorated the bathroom, leaving everything a shade of deep red. Naegi screamed.

"Ding dong bing bong. A body has been found! An investigation will begin promptly, followed by a class trial."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Sakura had joined him. Instead of screaming, as he had, she covered her mouth and looked down sorrowfully.

"How," she began slowly. "How could anyone do this?"

Naegi shook his head. He couldn't imagine how any of those people he met could be murderers. Sure, they were rough around the edges, but definitely not cold-blooded killers. He felt bile rise into his throat. He needed to look away. He couldn't bear to look at the lifeless shell of Leon before him.

"Where's Sayaka?" he managed to choke out.

"She fainted back in the other room." Sakura thought for a second. "Hmmm, why would she pass out, if she hadn't seen the body before? And another thing, didn't Monokuma say that three people needed to be present to trigger the body announcement besides the killer?"

"I sure did!" Monokuma had appeared out of nowhere and began shouting in their ears cheerily. "Yup, and that criteria was met!"

"H-how? That's impossible! Sayaka was unconscious and it was only Sakura and myself."

He pondered for a moment, as if he was going to tell them. "Nope! Sorry, can't figure everything out for you bastards! Well, I'm out." And with that, he was gone.

"I'll tell the others, if you wish to start investigating and helping Sayaka."  
"Okay, if you don't mind that is." She shook her head and walked out the front door. Naegi ran over to Sayaka's limp body. He gently touched her face. "Hey, please wake up." He then proceeded to pull out his wand. "Rennerverate," he said pointing it at her.

Her eyelids fluttered open. The terror suddenly vanished from his heart. He was fearful that perhaps she was murdered, too. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. He was incredibly relieved, until he heard he muffled cries. "L-leon's dea," she couldn't even finish her sentence before she started wailing. "I-I'm so sorry. I-I should have told someone!" She broke down.

She wasn't making any sense, but he didn't want to pressure her. So they just sat there until the others flooded into the room.

"God, it stinks in here!" cried Junko.

"Yeah, like blood and rotting meat. I think I'm going to be sick!" exclaimed Asahina.

"B-blood!" Fukawa managed to get out before she collapsed.

Naegi looked up sullenly. He cleared his throat loudly. "The, uh, body's in the bathroom."

"I'll begin investigating," said Kyouko.

"And I will, too," pronounced Togami. He looked around. "Naegi, Kyouko, Sakura and I will stay here to look for clues. Everyone else, go somewhere else and don't bother us." Naegi was taken aback at his confidence and calmness in the situation. Everyone filed out, willingly and begrudgingly. "Now, let's begin."

Kyouko walked right up to the body and began examining it. "This is strange. Obviously the cause of death was being stabbed, but the thing I do not understand is how that was done with magic."

"Well, it was done with magic without a doubt. If it wasn't, I would have had to punish the little runt who did it! Upupupu!" Monokuma yet again appeared and then as quickly as he came, he left.

Kyouko barely even paid any attention to him and went right back to the body. "There are multiple stab wounds, but only one knife. If done by magic, I don't understand how the body could have become this damaged by one knife. Also, it looks as if there are some more shallow wounds, maybe torture before death." She said this all with no hint of doubt. She examined the body one last time, "I'm thinking the time of death was approximately five this morning," and then moved on to the surrounding area.

Togami was over looking at the bed. "There are no traces of hair to be found or finger prints. This can mean that everything was done with magic or that the killer was here for quite a long time cleaning up. But, considering the time of death…this has become fun."

Naegi and Sakura just stood there. They had nothing to offer. "You two, over here, now," ordered Togami. When they arrived he said to them, "Is this exactly how you found the scene?" They nodded. "What about Sayaka? Did she move anything?"

"I don't think so. She fainted as soon as Naegi found the body, which was soon after we arrived."

"Hmmm…alright. Go ask her, Naegi. Now!"

As Naegi went to move, Monokuma's voice blared through the room. "Time's up! Please meet in the dungeon and we will begin the school trial!"

"No time, we'll ask her at the trial," said Togami, annoyed. The four of them then headed towards the dungeon. Naegi needed to find Sayaka and make sure she was alright. He felt a slight bit of guilt for not staying with her earlier. But when he went down, he saw her talking to some of the other girls and he realized that maybe she didn't need him. He realized that in this situation he couldn't worry about Sayaka, he needed to put all of his focus into the trial. He needed to avenge Leon and find whoever could have done this to her. And thus, the fifteen of them were whisked away into the courtroom.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

They all stepped into the dungeon and let out a collective gasp. What used to be a dank underground shelter was transformed into a courtroom. Sixteen podiums, each labeled with every students name, beckoned to them. Naegi took his spot next to a Sayaka, who looked as if she may faint, and Yamada. Monokuma then explained the rules.

After his little speech, everything began. "Alright, first things first," Togami said. "We need to discuss the state of the corpse. Kyouko was examining it, so she will speak."

"The body was found in the bathroom. Obviously there was a knife stuck into the abdomen, so it would seem that this was the cause of death. However, there were other stab wounds, which could be more knife inflicted injuries. The knife was wedged in the ribs pretty tightly and the blood was dried around it, which leads me to believe that there were other weapons involved. Also, there were shallower gashes, which leads me to believe that torture was inflicted before death. Lastly, the time of death was estimated to be around five this morning." After her spiel, she offered nothing more.

"Hmmm, this is very interesting indeed," Celestia said. "If Monokuma confirms that Leon was killed with magic, how could the knife be the cause of death? A knife is far from magical."

"What if the knife wasn't really a knife?" offered Hagakure.

"What if it was a suicide? That could work, right?" Asahina chimed in.

"Couldn't something else have cause the death?" Sakura questioned.

"No, it was definitely the knife. Nothing else could have been lethal." They were stumped, and no one was ready to doubt Kyouko's logic about the cause of death. They sat in silence, working their minds for the answer.

"Well, what if the knife was transported using magic. That would still fulfill the requirements of the murder while throwing us off track," Mukuro said, just barely above a whisper.

"Yes, that works. I think Mukuro's right. The killer could have tortured and stabbed Leon a couple of times, but delivered the killing blow using 'Accio knife,'" Naegi said.

"Okay, now that we know the details of the death, let's focus on the state of the room. The walls were covered in knife marks way outside of the bathroom. That's why I asked you, Naegi, if anyone moved anything. Also, the front door was unlocked, there was no sign of struggle there, yet the bathroom door was blown off. No one, not even Sakura, could do that to a door that thick. How could the killer have done it?"

"It must have been some sort of spell," said Naegi. "But, what kind of spell can do that much damage?"

"Wait a second!" called Junko. "Before we go on, you said that Leon was murdered at five this morning, right?" Kyouko nodded. "Right, so I was woken up at like six this morning. I think Mondo or something woke me up, saying that Ishimaru told him to wake me up. Okay, and I'm in the Slytherin house and Ishimaru is in Gryffindor. So, what I'm getting at is that Ishimaru must have woken up all the Gryffindor people first because that's his house, and then he must have sent people to wake up the other houses. So, someone had to have went into Leon's room to wake him up before the body was even found."

Everyone looked stunned. "Ishimaru, please explain this," Togami said calmly.

"No problem! I wake up at precisely 5:30 every morning, no earlier and no later. It is always best to keep a schedule. I wanted everyone else to develop a plan and meet for a civilized breakfast, so I went to wake Sayaka and Sakura. I knocked on Sayaka's door, but when she didn't answer I just used 'Alohomora' on the door, the doors actually open quite easily. Anyways, I woke her from her sleep and asked her to wake Leon and Naegi while I went to Sakura and then to the other houses. I even explained to Sayaka that if Leon didn't answer to use the spell. So, Sayaka should have seen Le…OH MY GOSH! Sayaka, why didn't you tell anyone!? You should have seen the bod…Leon!"

All eyes turned to her. She just stared at her feet. Then her body started to shake and sobs overcame her. "It's true!" she sobbed. "I-I saw L-Leon and I di-didn't tell anyone!"

"Why, Sayaka?" Naegi whispered into her ear.

"I-I didn't want to tell anyone b-because I didn't want it to be t-true! I thought that if I left it f-for someone else to find, t-they would prove it true a-and not me." She was gulping for air in between cries.

Half looked slightly sympathetic, and half were suspicious. Togami was grinning like he had just solved the mystery. "Ah, well, at least something came out of this pitiful performance." Sayaka shot him a look. Togami didn't offer anything further.

"I still don't buy this shitty story," Mondo said. "Who would walk in on a dead body and then not say a goddamn thing about it!? She said she didn't want it to be true, which is bull, but I think the real reason is that she really did it!" The room burst into whispers.

_No! That can't be true! _"W-wait Mondo! I think we should debate this! Let's look over our evidence. We know that the murderer had to have been out of the room before 5:30, or else they would have ran into Ishimaru. We know that they would have had to have went down to the kitchen to get knives at some point. Monokuma had mentioned earlier that the kitchen was off limits at night. Now, if we know who went through the kitchen yesterday we can figure out the mystery."

"Well, Sakura and I were going through the cabinets to look for what kinds of protein they had for most of the day. We also had tea and other snacks and stuff, so I can try to tell you who was there," Asahina said.

"Perfect! Asahina and Sakura, can you please tell us who was there and what they were doing."

"Okay! Fukawa stopped in for a minute to get a glass of water, but left almost immediately when she saw us. Ishimaru checked in on us a couple of times, he said that he was keeping tabs on us and everything in the kitchen to keep it organized. Hagakure came in and grabbed a whole bunch of sugar, saying that he needed it for some kind of summoning or something. Yamada came in and grabbed some snacks. Um, I think that's it."

"I can vouch for Asahina, and she for myself, that neither of us even went near the knives and other cutlery," Sakura chimed in.

"What if you two were working together!?"

"Ahem, I hate to interrupt, but might I remind you that only one student gets to graduate for a murder, so it would be highly unlikely that two people would work together," Monokuma said.

"Are you sure that's everyone? Sayaka didn't even show up?"

"Yup! I can definitely say that she wasn't there." _Thank you!_

"Something does not seem right to me," Celestia said. "Asahina, you said that Ishimaru was keeping tabs on you, right? I was standing outside of the great hall most of the day and not once did he even come near me."

"Now that you mention it, I didn't see him either."

"And isn't there something in the kitchen that already keeps track of inventory?"

"Ishimaru? Care to comment?"

His face turned bright red and he began to stammer. "I, uh, Sakura and Asahina must be making it up! Yes, they are trying to frame me!"

"No, now that you mention it, I did see you return to your room holding your jacket rather tightly. What was that about?"

"N-nothing! It must not have been me! What about Sayaka?! It was obviously her!"

"Give it up, Ishimaru. You've been figured out," Naegi said solemnly.

"No. No. No. NO! Nothing has been proven! How could you say that!? Blaming an innocent person!"

"Naegi," Kyouko interrupted. "Would you care to tell us the events that took place and finish this?"

Naegi nodded. "Firstly, the killer had to get the supplies in order to murder the victim, Leon Kuwata. So, they went to the kitchen, claiming to be in there for other reasons. But, in reality, they were grabbing the knives needed to commit a killing. Then, the killer awoke a little before five this morning and went to Leon's room. They used a simple alohomora charm to open the door. After opening the door the killer positioned himself to simply call 'Accio knife!' so that it would fly into the victim's body. However, they missed and hit the walls, leading to the knife wounds in the walls behind the bed. Leon awoke and ran into the bathroom, locking the door behind him. The killer used a 'bombarda maxima' charm to blow the door off of its hinges. They walked in and called 'accio knife' many times, so that all the knives would fly at him. Some hit only a little bit, leading to shallow wounds and them just clattering to the floor. One knife stuck into the rib cage, which led to Leon's death. The killer then proceeded to clean up, by picking up knives and hair left behind.

After the murder, they went back to their room to change their blood soaked clothes. By five thirty, they were out and about. The killer then sent Sayaka into the corpse's room to attempt to get her to discover the body and send everyone into a frenzy. However, she never did this, so the killer decided to take that opportunity to frame Sayaka. For such a quick murder and cleanup, the killer had to have been in the Gryffindor house. There's only one person who could have accomplished all of this. Isn't that right, Kiyotaka Ishimaru?"

His face dropped. "Yeah. That's right. Just start the vote."

The children all pulled the levers in front of them and voted.

"That's right! May I proudly present the killer, Kiyotaka Ishimaru! IIIIIIIIIIIIIt's punishment time!"


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

The disgust felt by everyone in the room was almost tangible. Nobody wanted to make eye contact with Ishimaru. He looked around, his eyes begging for someone to take pity on him, but he remained alone for his last few minutes of life. The only one who managed to even lift their head for a second was Sayaka.

"How...how could you?" she whispered. "How..HOW COULD YOU?! YOU SON OF A BITCH! I'LL KILL YOU MYSELF!" Her voice rang through the courtroom. She attempted to lunge at him, but Naegi simply grabbed her hand. She spat at him and then went limp. Tears couldn't flow from her eyes anymore, so she sat there sobbing dryly.

"Since I see no one has any more heartfelt goodbyes to offer the blackened, it's time." Monokuma then took Ishimaru by the neck and whisked him off through a tunnel that had just opened up. He waved for the others to follow him, and one by one they did.

They were led into a classroom, but not a Hogwarts classroom. It resembled a muggle one more. Ishimaru was seated in a muggle desk with his arms and legs bound to it. The others were looking at him through an adjacent room. "For the muggle-born sticker for the rules, Kiyotaka Ishimaru, I have developed a punishment that may make him feel right at home. I call this particular one A LESSON IN GRAVITY!"

Monokuma then pulled out a wand. "DEPRIMO!" he shouted gleefully. A slight breeze started, but within a matter of seconds it transformed into a howling wind storm. Books, school supplies, and even desks flew into the air. Soon almost everything, excluding Ishimaru, was lifted to the ceiling in a swirling vortex. Then, Monokuma changed tactics. "ENGORGIO! INCENDIO!" The objects in the air grew wildly and caught aflame. Monokuma then turned his back and released the deprimo charm. Objects fell right on top of Ishimaru. His screams of pain radiated throughout the room. Many of the students covered their ears to block out the wailing. And then, there was silence.

They peered into the room and saw a smoldering pile of junk. Even through the next room they could smell burning flesh and singed hair. Naegi began to gag, along with many of his peers. Fukawa had fainted and Chihiro was attempting not to violently cry. Almost everyone was touched, except for Kyouko, Togami and Sayaka. Kyouko and Togami were stony faced and ready to get back on with their lives. Sayaka, however, looked mildly pleased. A small, contorted smile spread across her lips.

"Rot in Hell," Naegi heard her whisper. He hadn't seen this side of her before, and he was positive that he didn't want to see any more of it. He debated about what to do, but in the end he just stood there stiffly.

"Alright everyone! It's nighttime! Get back to your rooms and refuel for another exciting day of school!" Monokuma shooed them out of the execution room. "Besides, I have a ton of cleanup to do. Human remains aren't easy to scrape up, you know?"

Naegi sluggishly head back to his room. He wandered past rows and rows of rooms to get back to his bedroom. He passed both Leon's and Ishimaru's on his way. A lump caught in his throat. _Are they really gone? My friends...gone forever? _His stomach began to churn, and he ran back to his room before anything could come up.

He crawled into bed, letting the fatigue from that day rush over him. His body felt pumped with cement. He laid his head gently down on his pillow and closed his eyes. But, before he fell asleep, he heard a knock at his door. He tried to ignore it, but it only became louder and more frantic.

He slowly got up. His body was tense and prepared for a fight. _Who could it possibly be? _He went to the door and grabbed for the knob. He opened it to reveal Sayaka standing there. He felt mildly relieved, but still wary.

"Come with me," she said bluntly. Then with that, she walked away. Naegi's mind raced. _What could she possibly need at this hour? _After debating for a minute, he closed his door and followed.


End file.
